Everyone misses greens. It’s a simple fact of life — death, taxes and missing greens.
On the PGA Tour, where the best ball strikers in the world compete on a weekly basis, the average percentage of greens in regulation sits around 65 percent each year. That means the average pro is missing six(!) greens per round. But that doesn’t mean they’re making six bogeys (or worse) every 18. Why? Because they’re elite with a wedge in their hands.
In 2021, Tour average scrambling percentage sat at 58 percent, meaning of the six greens the average pro misses, they’re saving par between three and four times per round. Add in a couple birdies and you’ve got a tidy scorecard in the books.
Consistency is key if you want to get up and down, but getting that consistency is easier said than done. Our advice: block out the noise and get some advice from a professional. And lucky for you, Josh Zander, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, just shared a simple drill that is sure to increase your consistency and have you hitting crisper chip shots.
First, set up for a chip shot and place a club underneath your toes on the lead foot, like Zander demonstrates in the video above. Then, your goal is to push your weight into the club underneath your foot as you take the club away.
“As I go back, I load the lead side,” Zander says. “And then I push up.”
This move helps you keep your weight forward and not sway your body away from the target.
“As I load the lead side, you’ll see a little flex in the lead knee,” he says. “And then when I come through, that flex goes away.”
Simple, easy and effective.
